Is it better to build muscle to lose fat instead of doing more cardio?

Many experts, gurus, and personal trainers will argue this point to death, but it is actually true. Is it better to build muscle to lose fat instead of doing more cardio?

There is no definitive answer and let me tell you right away that you will have to test what works best for your body and situation.

You may not have time to do cardio at 40 minutes per session, 2 times a day. But you probably have time to lift weights for 1 hour a day.

Additionally, genetics will also play a role in what is most effective in terms of fat loss. Many fitness models don’t do cardio while some live and die 2 and sometimes 3 times a day.

So let’s take a look at the facts so you can decide which is the best route for you to take.

First of all, muscle is the number one factor in the metabolic rate you will have. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn over days and weeks just to maintain that muscle.

This can add up to thousands of calories per day, if you have enough muscle on your body.

On the other hand, normal steady state cardio doesn’t do that. Cardio done in the so-called “fat burning” zone will only burn calories for as long as you’re doing it.

Approximately 30 minutes of traditional cardio will burn around 300 calories. Not bad and certainly better than nothing.

Knowing that we have to decide which model gives you more benefit. If you’re short on time, you can still lift weights 4 times a week and reap significant fat loss benefits in the long run.

If, on the other hand, you like to be on the elliptical or treadmill for 40 minutes, you can also do it. But you will have to sacrifice more time.

My opinion is that you would choose to build muscle for fat loss over doing more cardio.

In general, it’s really a matter of personal preference, try to see what works for you, and adapt it to your own day-to-day lifestyle.